HARTFORD — The journey began five weeks ago, when the Minnesota Gophers lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

A few days later, junior defenseman Brady Skjei signed a contract with the New York Rangers. Skjei, 21, reported to the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford to start his professional career.

How's this for a start: Hartford won its first six games with Skjei in the lineup, and the Wolf Pack are 9-3-0-0 since the defenseman joined them.

On Friday, Skjei — pronounced "SHAY" — will again be skating a regular shift as the Wolf Pack face the Providence Bruins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Hartford rebounded from a triple-overtime loss Sunday with a 2-1 victory Tuesday, forcing the decisive game at the XL Center.

The team's ability to put a heartbreaking loss behind can best be traced to a group of AHL veterans, from brothers Chris and Ryan Bourque to defenseman Michael Kostka through goaltender Yann Danis. The Wolf Pack have a roster built for a deep playoff run, led by players who have won Calder Cups (Kostka, Chris Mueller).

Before that series against the Americans, there was an Eastern Conference finals seventh...

This was before Ken Gernander had hung up his skates, before Yann Danis had stopped a shot for Brown University. This was in 2000, the spring the Wolf Pack captured their only Calder Cup against Rochester.

Before that series against the Americans, there was an Eastern Conference finals seventh...

(Jeff Jacobs)

But this ultimately is a development league and the Rangers hope their prospects gain valuable playoff experience as they prepare for the next step. Players such as forward Oscar Lindberg, forward Danny Kristo and defenseman Dylan McIlrath have spent the season in Hartford, and they figure to compete for NHL jobs in the coming years.

Then there's Skjei, a 2012 first-round pick whose arrival was highly anticipated. He hasn't disappointed, earning ice time with his poise and skill.

The players gathered themselves Monday, after losing a triple-overtime game to the Providence Bruins the night before. They skated, hung out in Providence and congregated for a team meal...

PROVIDENCE — The day after skating through 102 minutes of hockey, the Hartford Wolf Pack rested and regrouped.

The players gathered themselves Monday, after losing a triple-overtime game to the Providence Bruins the night before. They skated, hung out in Providence and congregated for a team meal...

(PAUL DOYLE)

As the games have grown more important, Skjei has elevated his play.

"I thought maybe I could play this much," Skjei said. "I thought with my ability, I could. But the team was doing great and they have a very solid D-corp, so I wasn't sure. But it's very nice that the coaches have trust in me and my teammates have trust in me. So I'm just trying to play my game."

Skjei (6 feet 3, 206 pounds) had eight goals and 19 assists in 109 college games. The Lakeville, Minn., native rose through the U.S. national development program and was a solid player at Minnesota, leading the Gophers to the NCAA title game in 2014.

The Gophers lost to Union in the title game. One of Union's top players was defenseman Mat Bodie, now Skjei's teammate in Hartford. In fact, Bodie's seamless transition from college to the AHL is a model for Skjei.

"I thought that I was ready," Skjei said. "The biggest difference here is just the physicality and guys are smarter on the ice. Someone is always open. But it hasn't been a big adjustment. The speed's not crazy different. So, yeah, I'm just trying to stay confident. It is more physical. You're playing against 26-, 27-year-olds, some 30-year-olds. They kind of have that man-strength that guys in college usually don't have."

The Wolf Pack were on a roll when Skjei arrived, as the team had transformed itself from a fringe playoff contender to a leader in the Northeast Division before the defenseman signed April 1. Hartford won its first six with Skjei in the lineup and finished the regular season with seven wins in its final eight games.

In the playoffs, he's been paired with Kostka, 29, and the combination has been solid in front of Danis. There was one mistake — a giveaway that led to the Bruins' winning goal in Game 2.

But the Wolf Pack coaching staff didn't lose faith and Skjei has logged lots of ice time the past two games. Skjei scored Hartford's only goal in the triple-overtime loss Sunday, on the power play.

That coach Ken Gernander — himself a former Minnesota Gopher — used Skjei on the power player is telling. The veterans might be leading the Wolf Pack, but this playoff run is about boosting young prospects to the next level.

"It's certainly an opportunity for them," Gernander said. "It's a bigger stage to show that they're fire-tested."